How far can underdog Bodø/Glimt go?

On Wednesday evening, the two surprise teams of this competition will face each other in Norway in Bodö/Glimt vs. Sporting Lisbon. The hosts recently secured two impressive victories in the playoffs against Inter Milan, continuing the euphoria – in addition, they achieved successes against European giants such as Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the group stage.

The other surprise team comes from Portugal and even qualified directly for the round of 16 with a place in the top 8 in the group stage. With 16 points, Sporting earned exactly the same number of points as Barcelona in fifth place and also deservedly reached the round of 16. The foundation for this was their absolutely flawless home record of four wins and only three goals conceded – away from home, Lisbon was much more vulnerable, winning only one of their four Champions League games – the last one in Bilbao.

Overall, Sporting Lisbon proved to be the stronger team in the group stage – but no one is underestimating the Norwegians anymore, especially after the playoffs! They have a particularly strong record at home, where they have been very accurate in front of goal. In their five home games so far, they have scored ten goals – four times they have scored at least twice in a game.

Bodö/Glimt vs. Sporting Lisbon Prediction AI

According to our Bodø/Glimt vs. Sporting Lisbon AI prediction, the visitors are the favorites in this game with a probability of winning just over 48 percent. This is also where the greatest value lies: the Bodø/Glimt vs. Sporting Lisbon odds from the bookmakers do not see a clear favorite in this game and rate both teams’ chances of winning equally – our AI clearly has one.

Bodö/Glimt – Statistics & current form

Bodö/Glimt is in a remarkably stable phase in the UEFA Champions League ahead of its clash with Sporting CP. The Norwegians have won their last four games in this competition and could reach a rare milestone. In the 21st century, only four clubs outside the big five European leagues – England, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy – have managed to win five Champions League games in a row.

Another win would therefore put Bodö/Glimt in an extremely exclusive list. The team could also set another competition record: in their four Champions League games so far, the team has fielded exactly the same starting lineup each time. Five identical starting lineups in a row have only been achieved once before, when Auxerre did so in the 2002/03 season.

Högh and Hauge shine in attack

The Norwegian champions also have several outstanding players in attack. Kasper Högh has scored four goals and provided three assists in this Champions League season, while Jens Petter Hauge has already scored six goals and provided one assist. Both players have been directly involved in seven goals – a feat that only John Carew has achieved for a Norwegian team in a single Champions League season, for Rosenborg in 1999/2000.

Hauge in particular has a strong influence on the offensive play: With 27 successful dribbles and 20 touches that led directly to a shot or clear chance, he is one of the most impressive wingers in the current Champions League season. Before the start of the round of 16, only three players have at least 20 touches in both categories – Hauge, Vinicius Junior, and Michael Olise.

In addition, Bodø/Glimt’s recent record against Portuguese opponents also speaks in their favor: they have won both of their previous matches against teams from Portugal, beating Porto 3-2 and Braga 2-1 in last season’s Europa League.

Sporting Lisbon – Statistics & current form

Sporting CP also heads into this match with impressive statistics, enjoying one of the strongest Champions League seasons in the club’s history. The Portuguese side has won five of its eight games, giving it a success rate of 63 percent – the club’s highest in a Champions League campaign when at least five games have been played.

In addition, another win would see Sporting equal their longest winning streak in the competition. The Lisbon club has already achieved three consecutive wins three times in the history of the Champions League: between September and October 1962, and between October and November 2008 and 2021. However, their flawless home record of four wins in four games contrasts with an away record of just one win in four games – with the Portuguese scoring more than one goal only once, which is why we are again expecting a maximum of one goal from the visitors in our Bodø/Glimt vs. Sporting Lisbon prediction.

Talent Quenda on the hunt for records

Historically, Sporting has already gained experience in away games against Norwegian clubs, albeit rarely. There have been three such games in total: in 1971, Sporting won 3-0 at Lyn in the European Cup Winners’ Cup, followed by a 2-0 win at Rosenborg in the Europa League in 2019. The only defeat came in 1999 in the UEFA Cup, with a 3-0 loss to Viking Stavanger.

In attack, a very young talent in particular is attracting attention: Geovany Quenda. The winger, who is not even 19 years old, recently scored one goal and set up another in the Champions League match against Club Brugge. He has already been involved in five goals (two goals, three assists) and already holds the record for the most goal involvement by a Portuguese teenager in the history of the Champions League.

Bodø/Glimt – Sporting Lisbon Head-to-head record

This is the first meeting between the two teams. Bodø/Glimt has faced Portuguese teams twice so far and won both encounters. Sporting CP, on the other hand, has already played three away games against Norwegian teams.

They have won two of those games and lost one. Overall, the Portuguese club has slightly more experience in such matches, while Bodö/Glimt has a flawless record against opponents from Portugal so far.

Bodö/Glimt – Sporting Lisbon Tip

According to the bookmakers, Bodö/Glimt and Sporting Lisbon are going into this game as absolutely equal opponents. Both teams are currently on a winning streak – the Norwegians have won four games in a row, while the Portuguese have won three.

Based on the hosts’ home record and the visitors’ generally weaker away record, we are leaning towards Bodö/Glimt vs. Sporting Lisbon with our tip in favor of Bodö.

The Norwegians have scored 15 goals in six Champions League home games, including Champions League qualifiers, but have also conceded eight goals. Sporting have also conceded eight goals, but in only four away games, while scoring only six goals themselves – three of which came in their last group game in Bilbao.